Nickelodeon is hoping to lure David Dobrik fans to the depths of Bikini Bottom, announcing the popular YouTube vlogger as host for a special virtual table read by the cast of “SpongeBob SquarePants” airing next month. Dobrik, who has over 17 million YouTube followers, will emcee “The Stars of SpongeBob Fan Favorites Special,” bringing together
Tech
Some Facebook employees will never go back to the social giant’s offices on a permanent basis. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in an internal town-hall livestream Thursday, said that many of Facebook employees will be allowed to work from home permanently even after the coronavirus crisis ends. He projected that around 50% of the company’s workforce could
Disney Plus is finally giving “The Simpsons” fans what they’ve been clamoring for: Most of the iconic animated sitcom’s older episodes will be available in the original 4-by-3 aspect ratio starting May 28. When the streaming service launched last November, it presented the full batch of “Simpsons” episodes in 16-by-9 format. That cropped out key
It’s no surprise to learn that U.S. families have been watching television together more frequently since the coronavirus lockdown began in March. However, the fact that they’re watching more music videos together is perhaps more unexpected. U.S. CTV viewing — which essentially shows that people are watching at home in their living rooms, not just
Diplo, Zhu, A-Trak and many others will perform at Electric Blockaloo, a virtual festival taking place on Minecraft June 25-28. Produced by Rave Family, stage hosts include Diplo’s Higher Ground, A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold, Claude VonStroke’s DirtyBird Records, Zhu Presents: Blacklizt and Claptone’s Masquerade, along with label collectives including Desert Hearts as well as Circus Records
BritBox, the North American subscription streaming service devoted to British shows, will launch the full collection of BBC productions of Shakespeare’s plays on May 26 exclusively on the platform. It will be the first time all 37 adaptations will be available to stream in one place. The collection includes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “As
In the middle of a pandemic, when late-night’s biggest personalities have been sidelined and forced to adapt digitally, Gary Whitta did the impossible. He made a whole new talk show. It still has all the same charms as the late-night mainstays: a live band, a large variety of guests, recurring segments, theme music, even stand-up
Audio Up, the company recently launched by Jingle Punks founder Jared Gutstadt, has teamed with New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music for a new podcast called “Occupational Therapy.” The 20-episode series features interviews with “Modern Family” creator Steve Levitan, TV executive Ben Silverman, producer and songwriter Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, NBA Star
Netflix has started to terminate accounts that people haven’t used the service for a year or more. The company announced that it is notifying customers who haven’t watched anything for 12 months since they subscribed whether they want to keep their membership. Netflix also is reaching out to those who haven’t streamed anything in the
As the coronavirus-induced lockdown begins to ease in Europe and the U.S. and people begin to confront the realities of returning to a changed office environment, Spotify has told its employees in all territories that they are free to work from home until next year. A Spotify spokesperson confirmed to Variety, “Earlier today, we announced
The Atlantic is the latest media organization to get whacked by the COVID-19 economic downturn. The company, steward of the 163-year-old American journalism brand, announced that it is laying off 68 staffers, representing 17% of total employees. The cutbacks affect mainly Atlantic Media’s events, sales and editorial staffs. It’s making other cost-cutting moves, too, instituting
WarnerMedia, racing to secure distribution deals for HBO Max ahead of the May 27 launch, announced a batch of seven new partner agreements for the streaming service. But several major TV and over-the-top platforms still haven’t jumped aboard the HBO Max train at this point — most notably, Roku and Amazon and Comcast, the nation’s
In the current climate, engaging with viewers can be a tricky task. During the second episode of the Variety Streaming Room weekly series “Rebooting the Entertainment Industry,” marketing executives from HBO Max, Facebook, Fox Entertainment and PwC talked to Variety senior TV writer Elaine Low about how their companies have been reaching out to audiences during this
Netflix says overseas hoops fans flocked in huge numbers to “The Last Dance,” the documentary series about Michael Jordan and the ’90s Chicago Bulls team, which has been a ratings smash in the U.S. for ESPN. Netflix tweeted the numbers Wednesday, claiming that 23.8 million households outside the U.S. checked out “The Last Dance” in
To outsiders, Disneyland Resort president Rebecca Campbell was a surprise choice to succeed Kevin Mayer as chairman of Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. To Disney insiders, the timing of the shake-up in Mayer’s division was unexpected when the news hit after the stock market closed May 18. But the selection of Campbell for the high-profile job
The history of Critical Role, the popular role-playing group, is documented in a new book coming out this fall, and CR has exclusively shared an excerpt with Variety. “The World of Critical Role: The History Behind the Epic Fantasy” delves into the formation the collective, which has been streaming Dungeons & Dragons-inspired episodes since 2015,
With seven days to go before HBO Max launches, Roku and WarnerMedia are racing to hammer out a deal to get the super-size streamer on Roku’s popular over-the-top TV platform. But sorry, Amazon Fire TV owners: It appears that HBO Max will not be there for you on May 27. WarnerMedia and Roku are currently
Jason Derulo has come under fire for sampling a piece of music by rising New Zealand musician Joshua Nanai (aka Jawsh 685), whose “Laxed (Siren Beat)” has become TikTok’s most explosive viral track — to the tune of over 750,000 TikToks a day and more than 43 million total views as of this writing —
“The Joe Rogan Experience,” one of podcasting’s longest-running and most popular shows, will be launching on Spotify exclusively this year. The Rogan-hosted comedy talk-show series will debut on Spotify on Sept. 1, 2020, on a nonexclusive basis — with all episodes dating back to 2009 — before becoming exclusive to the platform later in 2020
YouTube announced Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift will be among those joining “Dear Class of 2020,” punching even more star power into its virtual commencement ceremony for this year’s quarantined graduates. More than two dozen additional artists, celebrities and influencers will participate in the livestream, set to kick off Saturday, June 6, at 3
Variety Streaming Room’s weekly series “Rebooting the Entertainment Industry,” sponsored by PwC and Ad Council, will air its third episode on May 26 at 10 a.m. PT. The upcoming installment will focus on how the entertainment industry can tackle the production and distribution challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual panel will include
An IMDB for music, crossed with LinkedIn: That’s basically the elevator pitch for Jaxsta, a Sydney, Australia-based tech company that aims to be the go-to source for music credits, serving both the curiosity of fans and the needs of musicians and industry professionals. While currently free and in its beta phase, the site will provide
YouTube today announced the launch of its first Foundry Class of 2020, the platform’s global artist development program that, according to the announcement, “helps independent artists use music and storytelling to engage fans all over the world and build careers with a vision that is really uniquely their own.” Past Foundry artists include Dua Lipa, Rosalia, Kenny
“Wasp Network,” a Cuban political thriller starring Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez, will debut on Netflix next month. The film, written and directed by Olivier Assayas, drops on the streaming service on June 19 across the globe, except for China, Eastern Europe, Greece, Portugal, the Middle East and France. “Wasp Network” is based on the
Diana, the bubbly and charismatic young star of YouTube’s Kids Diana Show, already has a massive following of 123 million subscribers across the globe. Now the Ukrainian family behind Kids Diana Show is aiming to grow their business based on the 6-year-old digital influencer into an even bigger venture under a wide-ranging pact with Pocket.watch,
Manufactured YouTube plays versus conjured single sales? Those are the dramatic slurs at play in a chart battle between Ariana Grande and rapper 6ix9ine, as the latter returns to recording after a 17-month stint in prison. “Stuck With You,” Grande’s duet with Justin Bieber, which benefits First Responders Children’s Foundation, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s
Chinese tech giant Baidu will invest $70.3 million into the live-streaming sector, the company said, as it looks to take on rivals Douyin, China’s version of Tiktok, and Kuaishou in that space. The news comes as these three players jostle for dominance amidst a series of tit-for-tat lawsuits. Baidu’s vice president Shen Dou said last
Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi is heading up a retelling of Roald Dahl’s classic “James and the Giant Peach” with an all-star cast to help in the fight against COVID-19. Waititi, whose credits include “Thor: Ragnarok,” “The Mandalorian” and “Jojo Rabbit,” hosts a complete reading of the entire book in 10 installments, featuring guests including Ryan
Despite all the canceled in-person graduation ceremonies, a star-studded lineup of speakers, including Barack Obama, LeBron James and Malala Yousafzai, were determined to celebrate the class of 2020. Lakers star James kicked off the virtual “Graduate Together” ceremony, presented by XQ Institute, EIF and the LeBron James Family Foundation, commending the senior class for their
Former President Barack Obama made a brief appearance during the “Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition” virtual graduation ceremony, criticizing the country’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Though Obama doesn’t mention President Trump by name, he alludes to him and the “folks in charge.” “More than anything, this pandemic